


when I run out of rope you will bring me home

by deathbyfandom



Category: Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency (TV 2016)
Genre: First Kiss, Fluff, Getting Together, Jealousy, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-25
Updated: 2018-02-25
Packaged: 2019-03-23 20:11:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13795413
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deathbyfandom/pseuds/deathbyfandom
Summary: A guy hits on Dirk and it absolutely does not make Todd jealous, which leads to confessions, a date and plenty of kissing.





	when I run out of rope you will bring me home

They didn’t really have a reason to be knocking on this door, other than a feeling Dirk had, and Todd had learned to trust Dirks feelings.

“What do you want?” The door opened and a disgruntled young man with deep brown eyes and messy hair stepped out. “I mean uh… hi,” He flashed a grin at Dirk, eyeing him in a way that made Todd… something not happy, “What can I do for you, handsome?” 

Todd looked at Dirk, expecting him to launch into a disjointed description of their case that would throw the guy off, but he was too busy blushing like some 12 year old girl.

“Do you know anything about this goat?” Todd asked, thrusting the photo at the guy, successfully distracting him from eyeing Dirk like a piece of meat.

“Oh, yes, thank you, Todd,” Dirk said, “I got a bit distracted, we’re on a case, I’m a detective, Todd is my assistant.”

The man grinned at Dirk again. “That’s pretty impressive.”

“Oh it’s nothing special!” Dirk’s flustered smile at the praise made Todd feel sick.

“Well I don’t know anything about this goat but maybe you could tell me more about your case over dinner?” He glanced at Todd and added, “Just the two of us?”

That was it for Todd, that was where he drew the line. “No, actually he can’t, we’re very busy, thank you and goodbye.” Then he grabbed Dirk’s arm and tugged him down the corridor and into the lift.

“Ow!” Dirk exclaimed, yanking his arm out of Todd’s grip, “What the hell, Todd?”

“What?” Todd replied defensively, “He was being a jerk!”

“I thought he was being perfectly friendly.”

“He was looking at you like you were a piece of meat!” Todd said, waving his hands in Dirk’s face, “And he called you ‘handsome’! How much grosser can you get!”

“If I didn’t know better I’d say you were jealous.” Dirk said, stepping out of the lift and walking towards the door

“I’m not- I’m not jealous!” Todd spluttered, following Dirk out, “I just- I think he wasn’t being very polite.”

“You know Todd....” Dirk said slowly, coming to a halt, “I wouldn’t mind if you were jealous.”

“Well, I’m not.” Todd said decisively, grabbing the keys out of Dirk's hands and marching toward the car, determinedly not looking at Dirk. “So it doesn’t matter.”

Dirk sighed and climbed into the passenger's side. The ride home was silent, Todd glaring at the road ahead and Dirk watching him curiously. He wasn’t jealous, he really wasn’t, Todd kept trying to convince himself, it wasn’t working as well as he had hoped. Because he really couldn’t deny the fiery anger that filled him when he thought about that guy or anyone even, looking at Dirk like that. Maybe he was just protective of Dirk he decided, maybe he just didn’t want anyone to hurt Dirk. That was possible. Because he couldn’t be jealous, that would imply he wanted to be the one hitting on Dirk. Which he didn’t. He knew that much for sure. He liked Farah. Or had… he wasn’t sure he still did, she felt more like a second sister who didn’t hate him now. But that wasn’t the point, the point was he definitely did not like Dirk. Not now, not ever. Because Dirk was his friend, and Dirk was kind and friendly and happy and he deserved someone equally happy. Which was not Todd. He parked the car outside their new agency building and stormed inside without checking whether Dirk was following him.

“What’s up with him?” He heard Farah ask Dirk after he slammed his door behind him. Technically it was his and Dirk’s office but he didn’t really want to talk to Dirk right now so Dirk could sit with Farah.

“He’s jealous.” Dirk replied knowingly, and Todd glared at the door in what was probably the direction of Dirk.

“Of who?”

“A nice man was flirting with me.”

“Ah.” Todd didn’t like how understanding Farah sounded. Why was she agreeing with Dirk? Why would she think he’d be jealous? “Have you talked to him?”

“I told him I didn’t mind but he said he wasn’t jealous so it didn’t matter.”

“You told him you don’t mind? That’s it?”

“Well I would have said more but he stormed off!”

“Alright, well I’m going out for lunch with Amanda,” Todd heard her picking up her things, “so…” Pulling on her jacket, “I expect you two to have sorted this out by the time I get back.”

Todd heard the sound of the door shutting behind Farah and then the office fell into silence. Not for long though, after a few minutes there was a knock on Todd’s door.

“Todd?” Dirk’s voice was cautious, “can I come in?”

“Yeah alright.” Todd said, opening the door and glaring at Dirk.

“What I meant, earlier, is that… well, I would actually quite… like for you to be jealous…” Dirk said, his words slow and careful, his eyes watching Todd carefully, searching for some sign of understanding. When Todd didn’t respond he sighed and continued, “I would like for you to be jealous because… well, I would like for you to not want anyone else to flirt with me…”

“Because you like me.” Todd said, somehow only just understanding Dirk’s meaning.

“Yes,” Dirk said. “Is that okay?”

“Is that- Dirk, of course it’s okay it’s- I mean, it’s incredibly flattering.” Todd stuttered. It was flattering, but it was something else as well, something Todd wasn’t sure he was ready to acknowledge.

“But you don’t…”

“No, I… I don’t know.”

“Right. Well. That’s okay.” Dirk smiled tightly and nodded at Todd before turning and walking back to Farah’s desk.

“Wait, Dirk,” Todd called after Dirk, grabbing his arm, “I… I do… I think- I don’t know, I’m not… you deserve… you deserve someone who could make you happy and I’m… well, I’m  _ me _ .”

“Well… I like  _ you _ .” Was all Dirk said and Todd found himself smiling slightly despite himself.

“Thanks Dirk.”

They were silent for a while, both glancing around the room at anything but each other.

“Todd…” Dirk said finally, breaking the silence, “I don’t believe Farah would be very happy with this conclusion we’ve come to, that I like you and you don’t want to like me because you don’t think you’re good enough, that is, so I suggest we continue this conversation, potentially over ice cream?”

“Are you asking me on a date?”

“Potentially. If you wanted. It could just be friendly ice cream.” 

“I think... I’d be okay with date ice cream.” Todd said, not even getting a chance to regret his decision as Dirk’s face lit up with a grin. Dirk grabbed his jacket from the coat rack in the corner and flung open the door, Todd following, smiling slightly at Dirk’s enthusiasm.

The ice cream shop was only a five minute walk from the agency so of course Dirk spent the whole time babbling about something, one of his hold cases probably, Todd had found that tended to be what he talked about when he didn’t know what to talk about. And just to be clear Todd wasn’t not listening because he didn’t care, he did, kind of, but he was too busy deciding what he was gonna say when they got to the ice cream place and their ‘date’ officially started. Did he like Dirk? Probably, yeah, if the feeling in his stomach when Dirk said something nice to him or told people about him was anything to go by. And Dirk liked him. He knew that. So the only problem was the fact that there was no way Todd was the kind of person someone like Dirk should be dating. Dirk should be dating someone like Amanda, someone who gets excited with him instead of being annoyed at him. Except not Amanda because she was dating Farah and also Dirk was gay so that wouldn’t work. But the point was anyone who wasn’t Todd would be better for Dirk than Todd, well, except for messy hair guy, Todd did not like him at all. But the point was Todd was not good enough for Dirk and there wasn’t really anything that could change that.

“Anyway it turned out the witch was a fake but the vampire was an actual blood drinking vampire so I had to go into hiding for a while.” Dirk said, finishing whatever story he had been telling as they entered the ice cream shop. They ordered and sat at a table in the corner, despite Dirk’s complaints that it was a lovely day and they should sit outside.

“So…” Dirk started, after about 2 minutes of them sitting there eating in silence. “Todd… you agreed to a date, does that mean you’re admitting that you do like me?”

Todd sighed. “Something like that I suppose.”

“And that means…?”

“I don’t know Dirk.”

Dirk stirred his now soup of ice cream. “Todd… could you just try? I know you like me. I know you know you do. And I know the only thing stopping you is that you think you’re not good enough, I know you think starting this relationship would be a selfish act on your part. Well, I have something to tell you, Todd Brotzman, you don’t get to decide whether you’re good enough or not, that’s not your decision to make. People don’t get to decide what other people think of them, you can give them reasons to like or dislike you but you don’t get to make that call.”

Todd stared at him. “Okay.” He finally replied, his voice quiet. “Okay, we can try."

“Good that's… I’m glad.” Dirk said, staring down at his ice cream.

“Dirk, would you like to go back to the agency?” 

“Oh… I suppose.”

It wasn’t until they were back at the agency after Dirk had been silent the entire walk back that Todd realised Dirk probably thought he was mad at him and was ending the date early because of that.

“Dirk I’m not mad at you.” He said.

“I didn’t think you were.” Dirk said quietly, sitting down at Farah’s desk.

“Dirk, look at me.” Todd dragged a seat over and sat next to Dirk. “I really do want to try this, Dirk.”

“I’m sorry for snapping at you.” Dirk said eventually, and Todd smiled.

“I deserved it.”

“Todd…”

“No, I don’t mean in that way, I just mean I was being an idiot and you were right to snap at me.”

Dirk smiled and they were both silent again.

“So do you think Farah would be happy with this arrangement we’ve come to?” Todd asked, finally breaking the silence.

“What exactly is the arrangement we’ve come to?” Dirk asked, looking at Todd curiously.

“I don’t.... a relationship?” Todd said, unsure of himself. They hadn’t actually discussed the exact labels.

Dirk grinned and nodded. “That sounds agreeable…. this means I can kiss you now, correct?”

Todd laughed, a twinge of nervousness and excitement shooting through him. “Yeah, I suppose you can.”

“Would you… like that?” Dirk asked.

“I would.” Todd confirmed. Then Dirk leaned in and pressed his lips to Todd’s. It was soft and gentle and a lot less clumsy than Todd had expected. “You’ve done this before.” He commented, lips still close enough that he was breathing the same air as Dirk.

“I have, I was out of Blackwing for 16 years Todd.”

“Of course, I knew that, I don’t know why I was surprised.”

“You’re jealous again.” Dirk said, realisation dawning on him.

“I’m not- I don’t get jealous!” Todd exclaimed.

“You do so!”

“I… so maybe I do, whatever.” Todd said, surging forward and kissing Dirk again, his hands finding their way to his hair, fingers tangling into it. Dirk climbed onto Todd’s lap and ran his hands up Todd’s arms, coming to rest cupping his face. Todd decided then and there that he didn’t care anymore, he didn’t care that he didn’t deserve the incredible person that was Dirk Gently, he just didn’t care anymore. This was everything he ever wanted, even if he didn’t know it until the past month. He wanted the whirl of insanity that followed Dirk everywhere. He wanted the crazy stories that Dirk filled silences with. And he wanted Dirk like this, Dirk sitting on his lap, eagerly kissing him, his lips soft and warm, tugging at his hair. He liked being able to skim his fingers just under the hem of Dirk’s shirt, being able to slide his hands up Dirk’s back under his leather jacket, pull at his tie.

It was then that the door opened and Farah walked in.

“Good to see you two have worked yourselves out.” She commented, dropping her jacket on the coat rack. “Although I’d appreciate my desk back.”

“Of course yes-” Dirk started, jumping up, straightening his clothes and attempting to brush his hair into place.

“We were just uh… we’ll be heading into-” Todd stuttered, following Dirk up and walking into their office rather quickly.

“Into our office.” Dirk said, following Todd and shutting the door behind them.

Todd could feel Farah rolling her eyes from behind the door.

“I think that went well.” Dirk said, and it was only at that point that Todd noticed how dishevelled he actually looked, with his tie hanging loosely from his neck, his shirt half untucked and his hair looking like a birds nest.

“I like you, Dirk.” Todd said, and Dirk gave him a confused look.

“Yes? I thought we established that.”

“I know I just… I wanted to say it.”

Dirk smiled at that. “I like you too.”

Todd returned the smile and tugged Dirk into a hug. Dirk’s arms slipped around Todd’s waist, Todd’s face buried in the crook of Dirk’s neck and for a moment the universe seemed to still around them. Then the bell rang signalling the office door opening and Dirk was off hurdling into another case, this time with Todd holding tight to his hand.

**Author's Note:**

> So I found this on my google drive basically finished, I'm not sure why it hadn't already been posted but here you go, hope you enjoyed.


End file.
